Ear cleaner and dryer



Aug. 9, 1960 o. A. VlClK 2,948,230

EAR CLEANER AND DRYER Filed July 1a, 1958 IN V EN TOR.

' 0110 A. Via/K United States Patent EAR CLEANER AND DRYER Otto A. Vicik, Tuckahoe, N.Y., assignor to Gadget-f- The-Month Club, Inc., North Hollywood, Calif., a corporation of California Filed July 16, 1958, Ser. No. 748,913

4 Claims. (Cl. 128-304) This invention relates to towels and more particularly to an accessory for face and bath towels.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a face or bath towel having a plurality of ear cleaning and drying elements integral therewith for safely and comfortably cleaning and drying the inside of a persons ears.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a face or bath towel of the above type in which the ear drying and cleaning elements further add to the attractiveness of the towel and do not interfere with the normal use thereof. 7

Other objects of the invention are to provide an ear cleaner and dryer bearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and efficient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an ear cleaner and dryer made in accordance with the present invention in operative use;

Figure 2is an enlarged longitudinal cross sectional view taken along line 22 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a transverse cross sectional view taken along line 33 of Figure 2.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, a face or bath towel made in accordance with the present invention is shown to include a rectangular sheet of flexible,

water absorbing fabric 12 of substantially conventional towel material. This sheet of material 12 may be selectively of any desired size and shape, such as for a wash cloth, hand and face towel, or oversized bath towel.

A plurality of bulbous elements 14 are securedin predetermined spaced apart relationship upon opposite ends of this cloth 12, in accordance with a predetermined design that will further enhance the appearance of the en tire unit when placed upon a towel rack or the like, when' not in use. Each such bulbous portion 14 includes a core Patented Aug. 9, 1960 17 of foam or rubber sponge material that is sutficiently stiff to retain its shape when placed within a human ear, but which is not too still? to be uncomfortable or harmful thereto. Similarly, it is important that the core 17 is not too soft which would defeat its purpose. A flexible cover 18 of water absorbent material completely encases the core 17 and secures it, by means of stitching 20 to the predetermined positions on the base cloth 12. It will be noted that each bulbous element 14 is of substantially oval longitudinal cross section and circular transverse cross section, the free end thereof terminating in a blunt point 22 for limiting the inward movement of the bulbous portion to the canal of the ear, thus preventing injury or discomfort to the user.

It will be recognized that these bulbous elements may be attached to any desired personal hygiene article, such as wash clothes, bath towels, or hand towels. Similarly, substantially any type of material can be used for the core 17 which will enable the entire unit to be washed and cleaned at the same time. As a result, a device is provided which is extremely convenient and safe for the user, is attractive in appearance when not in use, and which can be readily included in the normal manufacture of the wash cloth or towel.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A towel comprising, in combination, a flexible sheet of fabric, a plurality of bulbous elements, and fastening means securing said bulbous elements in predetermined spaced-apart relationship upon said flexible sheet of fabric, each of said bulbous elements comprising a resilient core, and aflexible water absorbent cover completely enclosing said core.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said fastening means comprises stitches securing said flexible water absorbent cover upon said core and to said flexible sheet of fabric.

3. The combination according to claim 2, wherein said 'core is of substantially oval longitudinal cross section,

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 15,335 Great Britain June 24, 1893 

